A campaign group is calling for local authority action to ban a controversial underground energy scheme, which the body claims has the potential to cause subsidence risk and become an eyesore in the area.
No UCG Warks has been set up by following the announcement the government is considering a conditional licence for underground coal gasification (UCG) works across vast swathes of the Warwickshire countryside, local publication the Leamington Observer reports.
If given the go ahead, the scheme would stretch from Bubbenhall through Princethorpe and Marton towards Long Itchington.
The UCG process works by igniting coal buried deep underground and then collecting the subsequent gas that is emitting in a process that has been described as similar to the controversial system of ‘fracking’.
This gas is then gathered and burnt at stations above the site of the UCG works to provide energy for the local community.
However, a spokesperson for No UCG Warks told the news provider: “A UCG plant in Warwickshire must be resisted and must not be allowed to proceed. The dangers are very real and very scary.
“Although UCG has been around for a while it remains in its infancy in terms of commercial use. A UCG plant will be devastating for Warwickshire.”
The group’s representative added not only will the creation of the UCG works create an eyesore for local residents, the possibility that significant environmental damage could be caused to the area cannot be ignored.
As such, a public meeting organised by No UCG Warks is set to take place on September 5th and will allow the group to air its grievances ahead of any decision by the Environment Agency on whether the proposals will go ahead.
Individuals living in areas at risk of subsidence might like to consider taking out comprehensive subsidence insurance from GSI Insurance Services (Southern) Limited.
The cover provides peace of mind that should an owners’s property be blighted by subsidence, they will be reimbursed in full for any damage caused to their home, while the problem itself will be fixed.
